What Hurts the Most, Jacob Black
by This.Is.SCRUMPTIOUS
Summary: This is set before and kind of during Breaking Dawn. Jacob ran away from Forks, wanting to forget Bella, and his goal is reached when he meets Nathalie, but once again, the love of his life is put in danger by another vampire...sorry, no Nessie...yet
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jacob Black or any other Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse characters. I only own Nathalie, Holly, Ryan, and the other characters that I made up. **

Chapter 1

It was dark out, and the nighttime stars glistened in the sky. I looked up and admired them, searching for the only constellations I knew; Orion's Belt, the big dipper and the little dipper. I managed to catch the big dipper…or maybe it was the little dipper. I always got them confused. I checked my cell phone and saw it was 10:03. I better get going otherwise mom and dad are going to be extremely pissed at me. I quickened my pace to a slow jog. My house was almost in view; just behind two small hills. The problem was that I would have to walk through them. Great, I hope there aren't bugs in there. I hate bugs! I swallowed and zippered my jacket on tighter.

There was some small laughter coming from behind me. I froze and slightly glanced behind my shoulder. There were four or five guys not too far behind me. Hopefully they didn't notice me. They looked drunk. Yeah, they were drunk. They all staggered as they walked and kept tripping. Then one of them, I think he was blond, I couldn't tell, looked up and saw me. Shit. He smirked and whistled. How he thought I was hot, I had no idea. I was wearing a big, puffy, white, winter jacket with black gloves and a white hat. Blondie must be drunk. All of the others stopped and glanced at me and began laughing.

"Hey, you wanna come party?" One of them asked. It was a tall guy that was standing in the back. They all laughed again. I ignored them and speeded up. They began running/falling towards me.

"We don't wanna hurt ya!" A different guy called out, his voice slurring.

Five feet away. I slowed down as the land began to incline. I rolled down on the other side of the first hill and somehow managed to get myself stuck on the branches of a small bush. Well this sucks, considering the hill is concealed on all sides so no one was going to be able to see me. I tried to pull myself up, but I was way too dizzy. They were going to catch me for sure. I gulped as I saw the shadow of them reaching the hill. 'Help,' was stuck in my throat. I was too scared to let it out.

"There you are baby," Blondie called out. "We were looking for you. Looks like you're stuck. Let me help." He walked/staggered over to me and ended up falling on top of me. He laughed in my face. He reeked of alcohol.

"Oops," he chuckled. "My bad."

Blondie wasn't sorry at all; he proved my assumption by licking his lips. He started unzipping my jacket when I kicked him away. His friends all laughed. I struggled again, without any success, to get myself out of the bush. The tall guy came over and kicked me, hard, in the stomach.

"Ow!" I cried out in pain, and they laughed.

"Pin her, guys," Blondie commanded. The tall guy and the other three all laughed and each grabbed a part of me. Blondie lied on top of me again and sneered when I struggled to escape. I swallowed and closed my eyes, awaiting my fate, when I heard a low growl coming from behind.

All of five of their heads shot up. Blondie finally got off of me and I opened my eyes. What was growling a moment ago? I tried to see past their heads, but I was still pinned to the ground. They let go of me and backed up with fear in their eyes. That's when I got a good long look at it. I had no idea what it was. Maybe a mixture of a dog and a bear, or an abnormal-sized wolf. He had rust colored fur that shined in the moonlight. His teeth were bared and he was glaring down at the five drunks.

"Come on guys," Blondie called out. "Let's go!"

"What about the girl?" The tall guy asked, not tearing his eyes away from the wolf-thing.

"Forget about her!" Blondie said, his words slurred. "Let her get eaten!"

They all tore away from the scene, leaving me still caught in the bush, staring in horror at the wolf. He closed his mouth and appeared to be, if it's even possible, smiling. Smugly. My heart was pounding so crazily inside my chest that I was afraid it was going to jump out. He took a step closer to me and I backed away slightly. I attempted to get myself free from the bush, again, with no improvements. He was finally close enough for me to feel his breath, his warm musky breath, brush passed my face. It warmed me up and suddenly, I wasn't afraid. Not anymore. This dog's presence completely relaxed me. I knew he wasn't going to hurt me. I even smiled a little. He had lovely brown eyes.

The dog went over to the bush and, using his mouth, pulled my leg free from the bush of evil. I checked my leg over to make sure I didn't hurt it. When I saw it was undamaged, I looked back up to thank him, but he was already gone. It was the strangest thing. I didn't want him to leave. I felt comfortable around him, even if it was for only a minute. I wasn't looking forward to walking the rest of the way home alone.

"Hey," I called out shakily. "Don't, don't go!"

Silence.

He wasn't coming back. He was probably never coming back. I sighed and stood up. I walked up exited onto the other side of the second hill. My house was only a short distance away. I took one last look behind me, secretly hoping he would be there. But he wasn't. Reluctantly, I made my way back to my home. Before I walked into my house, I could've sworn I heard someone or something howling.

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I was thinking about that wolf for the next couple of days. I was always spacing out in the middle of class. I almost received a detention in calculus. My friends naturally got annoyed with it.

"Nat," my best friend Holly asked me Friday at lunch. I was picking at my turkey sandwich. "What is wrong with you? I'll be talking to you, but you'll be in another world. You mind telling me what's going on?" I snapped out of my trance and blinked twice before I answered.

"Oh, um, not really," I answered.

She rolled her eyes.

"Well you better snap out of it. Winter Formal is in like, a month! You need to find a date."

"That's great," I said distractedly.

"Ryan, talk to her please!" Holly commanded, fed up. Ryan, my best guy friend looked up from his pizza. His brown hair did the flippy thing and was constantly in his face.

"What?" He asked. Holly gestured towards me. "Oh, right. Well, yeah Nathalie. You've been acting like a zombie all week! What's on your mind?"

I was about to tell him no when the bell rang. I looked at them apologetically and gathered my books.

When school ended three periods later, I headed straight for my car. It was a crappy little blue cavalier. The paint was chipping everywhere and there was a small dent on the hood where my dad fell on it (don't ask). I got in and drove home, making sure to avoid any of my friends. I didn't want them to know about my encounter with the wolf; I kind of wanted it to be my own little secret. I would tell them when I was ready.

I pulled into my driveway and ran into my house. I plopped my bag onto my couch and started climbing up the stairs.

"Nat?" My mom called from the kitchen table.

"Yeah?" I asked. I hope she didn't want me to do anything; I was tired and wanted to lie down.

"Just checking," she said. "How was school?"

"Fine!" I responded, relieved.

I ran the rest of the way up the stairs. I jumped onto my bed and pulled out my English homework. Stupid William Shakespeare. He was so boring.

Thank the lord it was Friday, because I fell asleep in the middle of reading Macbeth.

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I woke to the sound of tapping at my window. I glanced out the window and didn't see any light, and I assumed that the sun must have already set. I looked at my alarm clock and it said 10:11.

"Hmph," I said to myself. Same time I met that wolf… I got up from my bed and pulled open my curtain, and jumped back at what was awaiting me patiently on my roof.

There was a large dog sitting behind my window. No, wait; it was my wolf friend that saved me! My heart jumped up in joy when I realized it was him. I quickly rolled open the window and stuck my head out. His rust colored fur blew ever so slightly in the wind. He was panting, and his tongue was dangling out of his mouth like bubble tape. But he looked happy. His brown eyes had a certain little glow to them. I ran back to my bed and put my pillows under the covers. It's dark in here, my parents will never be able to tell it's not me under there. Or not. They'll probably notice I'm gone if they turn the lights on. I shrugged my shoulders indifferently and went back to the window and climbed through to join my furry new friend. He was sitting on the small roof that rose above our porch.

"Hello!" I whispered happily. "I am so glad to see you again!"

The dog growled slightly as in response. It wasn't a mean growl, but a small gentle growl. I giggled. He brushed his nose against my skin. It was wet and cold, just like any other dog. I slowly picked up my hand and gingerly touched his fur. It was long and warm.

"Do you have a name?" I asked quietly, looking for a dog tag. Why he would have one, I have no idea. Just checking. He nodded his head.

"I suppose you wouldn't be able to tell me, being a dog and all…" He whined. "You want me to guess it?" He licked my face, telling me yes in dog language.

"Ok, does it start with an A?" he didn't respond. I recited the whole alphabet until I got to the letter J. He barked excitedly.

"Shh!" I said, hoping nobody heard him. "OK, J then. Josh? James? John? Julian? Jacob?" He barked again, when I said Jacob. I smiled.

"Alright! Jacob it is! Well, Jacob, I just wanted to say that I am very happy that you saved me a few days ago." He nudged me again with is nose."You wanna know my name?" I asked and his eyes glittered. "Nathalie. Nathalie Hunter." We practically spent the whole night talking, well, I did. He would occasionally answer with a bark or whine or nudge.

I yawned and stretched, wondering how long we've been out here for.

"Hold on, let me check the time," I told him, and he rested his head on his paws. I climbed back through my window and looked at my alarm clock for the second time that night. Actually, now it's the first time this morning. It was 2:36 a.m. I knew I had to get some sleep, but I didn't want to say good bye to Jacob. I stuck my head back out the window and smiled sadly at him. He looked up curiously.

"It's 2 in the morning. I need to go to sleep," I said quietly. He whined in response. "I know. I don't want to leave you either. But you can still come and talk with me tomorrow! It'll have to be at night. I'm pretty sure my parents wouldn't understand why I was going out to talk to a dog. So, good night."

He looked at me sadly and licked my face gently. I chuckled and rubbed him around his ears. He closed his eyes happily, at peace.

"Night," I repeated, and kissed him on his head, making him appear much happier.

He stood straighter and gave a little bark. I smiled at him and closed my window.

I wondered if he was really going to leave, or watch over me while I slept. It made me feel safe just thinking about the fact that he was watching over me, like he was my guardian angel.

A/N: Hm, I kind of just realized that this chapter did not make sense. All of a sudden she knew Jacob? Wha? Why didn't you guys say anything?

*Glares angrily at you all*

I guess I should be nice if I want any reviews…but this isn't the end, you hear?!

So hopefully this story line makes a lot more sense than it did before. Toodles!


	2. Chapter 2

The bright sunlight streamed through my curtains and into my face. I squinted my eyes even though they were closed. I got up and stretched. I blindly searched for my alarm clock and grabbed it. It read 1:23. Wow, I got a lot of sleep. Hope my parents don't mind. It's not like it was a school day or anything. I smiled when I remembered Jacob's happy face when I greeted him last night. Why did I feel so at peace when I was with him? Jacob was just a dog. But, he felt like more. I slowly slid down from my bed and put on my penguin slippers. I loved penguins. They were my favorite animals. I don't know why. I just loved they way they hobbled around, and the fact that they are birds that don't fly. They're unique birds. They stick out from the rest.

I slowly walked down my stairs where my mom was cooking grilled cheese sandwiches.

"Finally you're awake!" she said cheerfully. My mom flipped the bread on the little skillet and it let out a small sizzle.

"Mornin," I said groggily. I needed to wake up, so I grabbed a mug from the cabinet and turned on the coffee machine. I hate coffee, but it always woke me up.

"Coffee?" My mom asked, looking at me in surprise. "You must be tired." My mom froze and sniffed the air suddenly.

"I smell wet dog," She commented and I froze.

Did I really smell like Jacob? She gazed at me curiously, and I sent her a secret smile that she mistook for 'Alright then'.

When I finished my nasty, bitter, morning, or should I say afternoon now, drink, I headed back upstairs for a quick shower. I needed to get rid of the dog smell. When I stepped out, the phone rang.

"Nathalie! Phone's for you!" My mom shouted up the stairs. "It's Ryan."

I changed into some quick sweats and my Fall Out Boy concert t-shirt; I know, very sexy. I clambered down the stairs and took the phone from my mom.

"Hey Ry," I greeted to the receiver while attempting to wipe my hair dry.

"Hey Nat, you wanna go to the park or something?" He asked casually. "Holly's busy. She has to baby-sit her demon cousin."

I laughed, remembering last summer at Holly's birthday party. It was at her house, and her cousin had locked all three of us in her basement closet. No one could hear our screams until AFTER the party.

"Yeah, let me ask," I told him, putting the phone against my shoulder. "Mom, me and Ryan are going to the park. Cool?" I took the muffled 'Fure!' from the laundry room as a yes. "Cool. K Ry, Ill meet you in like ten minutes."

I hung up and walked back upstairs to change. I was about to pull my shirt off when I felt a small breeze. Why was my room freezing? Then I noticed my window was open. I looked at it curiously. I didn't recall ever opening it, besides last night to talk to Jacob. I cautiously walked over to it and looked out it. Was it Jacob again? What would he be doing here? And how could he open it when he's a dog? I sighed and closed it, muttering about how stupid snow is unless it cancels school. I changed into some jeans and a black hoodie that I wore on Halloween. I zippered up my jacket and put on my gloves and hat.

'Why did we have to go to the park?' I thought to myself, and opened the front door.

"Be back by 6!" My mom called from the kitchen. "And take a grilled cheese before you leave!" I rolled my eyes, but grabbed one anyway. I'd eat it on the way there.

"Ryan, you a-are an ass ho-ho-hole!" I said through chattering teeth.

I was sitting on the bench behind the swings and was holding myself around the waist. He was in the same position. He was trying to be a 'man' and cover up his shivering, but was doing a poor job of it.

"We had to meet at the p-p-park?" I asked. He smiled weakly at me.

"Where else do you s-suggest we me-meet?

"My house, your house, the mall, the movies?" I counted off. He chuckled.

"We always go there. I wanted something different. A change," he replied. I rolled my frozen eyes.

"You w-want a cha-change when its neg-negative five degrees?" I asked harshly. "Let's go back to my place, ok?" I asked.

He nodded in a white flag, 'I surrender!' fashion, and we walked together back to my house. We both went into my room and I closed the door. I peeled the layers of clothing off of me and threw them on my bed. Ryan copied me. He sniffed the air.

"It smells like dog in here," He said with his nose still scrunched up. "Did you get a dog?" I shook my head.

Geez, can _everyone_ smell him but me? Ryan jumped and pointed at my window.

"There was something there!" he said with wide eyes. "All I saw was fur! Lots and lots of orange fur!"

Jacob.  
"Don't be silly! I laughed and pulled aside the curtains. Jacob was gone.

"The cold must be getting to me," he said, rubbing his head. "I guess I'd better get home."

"But you just got here!" I whined.

He smiled apologetically and picked up his jacket.

"Sorry, mom wants me home by 4."

"Then why did you want to go out?" I asked, glaring at him suspiciously.

"I just wanted to talk to you." He admitted. I like talking to you."

"I like to talk to you too, Ryan, but I also like to talk for more than an hour." I said sarcastically.

"Sorry!" He said with a small smile, and left. Butt head. What a complete and total waste of my time!

I jumped on my bed and pulled my iPod out of my charger. I popped the headphones into my ears and began listening to Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Your Guardian Angel. I felt my eyes slip closed as the chorus came on.

When I woke up again, it was 6:15. I looked out the window and saw the sun was beginning to set. The sky had been died an orange and pink combination. This was my favorite part of the day. The sky wasn't just one color, but a multitude of them. I pulled my iPod out and put it in my dresser drawer just as I heard the usual tap at my window. He's early. Someone's gonna see him. I pulled the curtains open and went to open the window, but it was already open. Who keeps opening my window? It couldn't be Jacob. He's just a dog.

I poked my head through the window and looked around. I spotted Jacob near the edge, wagging his tail happily. How this little roof could support his weight, I had no idea. Nonetheless, I smiled at him happily. I grabbed a blanket and brought it out with me.

"Jake," I whispered to him. "You dont mind Jake, do you?" He barked happily.

"OK, well Jake, don't you think you should've waited till it got darker out?" I asked.

He was, well, thoughtful for a minute. He looked around the area where I lived. Someone could easily look out the window and spot us. The pink sky reflected in his eyes.

Suddenly, he turned around and looked at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked curiously. "What do you want me to do?"

He nodded towards his back.

"You want me to get on?" I asked bewildered. He gave a slight nod. "You'll probably collapse under my weight!" He rolled his eyes.

I swallowed and slipped onto his back. He didn't even notice the extra weight. He pounced off of the roof and bounded down the road.

"What about my parents?" I shouted in his ear. "Won't they notice I'm gone?"

He rolled his eyes again and ran faster. I held on tight to him, praying I wouldn't fly off.

When we finally stopped, we were in a forest. I couldn't recognize it, but the only one near my home would be Gram Wood. That must be where we are. I slid off of his back and stumbled a little bit.

"I'm fine! I said reassuringly to Jake when he went to help me. "Wow, you're fast! I commented.

He smiled smugly. The sky had changed from pink to dark blue now. The moonlight filtered through the leaves on the trees. It was beautiful. I sat on a nearby rock and was soon joined by Jake. He stared at me happily. Like I did on my roof, I rubbed him around his ears. Even though he was sitting, I still had to stand to do it. We were total opposites. He was big and meaty, and I was small and unmeaty. Jake lay down on the ground and I propped myself against him. He was so warm. I didn't even need my blanket around me. I twirled some of his fur in my hands. I talked more about my life to him. I wish I could know more about him. To me, he wasn't just a gigantic dog. He was my friend.

"I have one sister and one brother," I told him. "Shannons 22 and is at college. Seth is 6. We're really close." I talked about my life for hours, and had no intention of falling asleep, but ended up doing it anyway. I was afraid that if I woke up, he would be gone. But when I did wake up, I was in my room again. The sun glittered through my window. I wondered how he was able to carry me home. How was he able get my window open? I wish I could ask him. But he was, after all, only a dog.

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A/N: Yes, I redid this chapter as well. I think my old chapter two was my now current chapter three…oh well. I guess we'll find out. Come on guys, keep the reviews coming! You guys are my inspiration after all!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jacob Black or any other Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse characters. I only own Nathalie, Holly, Ryan, and the other characters that I made up. **

Chapter 3

Our little meetings in Gram Forest continued for the next two weeks. We grew closer and closer, even though I was the only one that could talk. My friends were always wondering why I was so tired all of the time. Jake was my reason. After he brought me home every night, it would take me at least another hour to fall back asleep. I didn't want Jake to leave me.

Why was I feeling this way? I mean, he's Jake! A dog! He's almost like my best friend, apart from Holly and Ryan, of course. I felt like I could tell Jake anything. Things seemed to go easier around him. And Holly was beginning to annoy me; the Winter Formal was in two weeks and I still hadn't found a date. I kind of didn't want to go. I would rather spend the night with Jake.

"Nathalie, I have a date!" She complained. Holly was going with Peter Jackson. "I don't want to go with just him! I want you there, too!"

"Ryan doesn't have a date," I pointed out.

"That's Ryan," She said flatly.

Ryan, on Holly's left, glared at her. Then he glanced at me and blushed. What was his problem?

"We've been waiting since freshmen year to go to the winter formal. Now that we're juniors, we can!"

"By the way Ryan," I said to him, completely ignoring Holly. "We've got that French project due Monday. You wanna come over and work on it?"

He nodded and smiled.

"Yeah! Sounds good," he said. "You bring your textbook. And the material. I'll bring me."

"Sounds like a plan!" I said with a thumbs up.

"Oh come on you guys!" Holly said angrily. "You need to focus less on school and more on Winter Formal!"

"That is the total opposite of what my dad would have said," Ryan chuckled.

"Ryan, do you want a date?" I asked him. He turned red.

"I don't want a date. I'm fine going solo or not going at all!" I said confidently, my fingers twitching in the direction of my iPod. Was it mean to want to secretly tune out your friends?

"Then come solo!" Holly pleaded. "It would be no fun without my best friend there!"

"No thanks," I said again. "I have other plans that night."

Ryan looked at me, a little sad.

"Really? With who?" He asked, a little too curious.

"...no one," I said cautiously.

They would probably be really mad at me if I said I was going to spend the night with a wolf. I looked up at the clock as the bell rang, signaling fifth period.

"Don't say another word about formal, ok Holly?" I said severely to Holly. She rolled her eyes and grabbed her books.

"Fine, lets go to history," she said huffily. "Then at least come with me Saturday to pick out a dress, ok?"

"Sure, no problem," I agreed, and we began talking about where to shop.

________________________________________________________________________

Ryan came over around 4. I hoped Jake wasn't going to come over early again. I don't think Ry would understand why there was a ten foot dog helping us with our French project.

"What goes in this category?" I asked him. We were in my room with a large white poster board laid out across the floor. I was lying on top of it with my arms and legs sprawled out.

"'Colors,'" He answered, looking at his notebook. "Next to that is 'school supplies.'"

I yawned and wrote colors and supplies in French under two separate columns.

"Break time!" I shouted, throwing my pencil behind me. Ryan stared at me.

"We just took a break ten minutes ago. We've hardly got any work done!" He said, chuckling.

He looked at the clock and scowled. "Shoot, its 6:00. Look Nat, I've gotta go. Let's work on this again tomorrow, ok?" I nodded and frowned.

We got a lot of, um, work done! I lied cheerfully. He laughed and rolled his eyes. I liked the way Jake rolled his eyes better.

"Well, see you tomorrow!" He said with a wave. I stood up and hugged him.

"Bye!" I said. He blushed a little and left.

I cleared the floor around me as best as I could and tried to shove them back in my bag. Then the tap came and I smiled. Jake was sitting in his usual position near the window. But he wasn't standing there excited and happy like he usually was. I climbed through the window with my blanket wrapped around me and walked over to him concernedly, trying not to fall off my roof.

"What's wrong Jake?" I whispered. He snorted and turned around, waiting for me to hop on. "No. Not when you're angry like this." He turned and growled at me.

"What is your problem?" I asked angrily.

He turned around again and waited. I reluctantly hopped on. By this point, I was used to Jake's speed, but today he was going faster than normal. And he wasn't enjoying it. We reached Gram Wood and I jumped off. I sat on my usual rock but wasn't joined by Jacob. He instead laid in a huff on the forest floor. I flared my nostrils and walked over to him.

"Why are you mad at me?" I practically screamed at him, not caring who heard me. He stood up slowly and glared at me. He gestured his head towards the directions we came from.

"My house?" I asked. "What was at my house? Oh wait, you mean Ryan?"

He growled again and sat back down. Jacob was as tall as me lying down.

"Do you not like Ryan?" I asked, my anger dying down. I went over by his head and stroked his ear. He moved his head away from me.

"Are you, by any chance, jealous?" I asked, a small smile forming around my mouth.

Jake didn't answer me. I couldn't help it; I started laughing. Was he seriously jealous of RYAN? He was just my friend! And he's an animal, why would he care? Sure, maybe if he felt protective of me, but...

Jake lifted his head up and turned towards me. His eyes were even angrier.

"Jacob, Ryan is my friend!" I explained through my laughter. It was probably mean of me to be laughing at him. "We were working together on our French project."

His brown eyes didn't change at first, but they slowly began to understand. He jumped up and barked. Jake ran over and tackled me to the ground. He was licking me all over my face.

"Alright Jake!" I said, still laughing. "I'm probably going to reek of dog when I get home." He moved away from me so I could stand up.

"Don't worry about any guys in my life, Jake," I said to him, standing up. "I really don't like anyone at the moment."

This news seemed to make him happier, for when he barked, it sounded more like a deep laugh. He seemed almost….human. I wanted so badly to go and hug him, but something stopped me.

"I wish you were human Jake," I wished. "Then I could have a normal conversation with you. I could learn more about you. You would probably be my best friend."

He stopped smiling for a moment and stared at the ground. I looked at him concernedly.

"I'd join a convent if it would make you happy, but that means I couldn't see you either," I joked.

He didn't smile. He turned around and began to leave. I tried to follow him, but he growled his mean growl, so I stopped where I was. He walked around a bush so I couldn't see him. I hope he wasn't peeing. That would be embarrassing. I sat there next to the bush impatiently, secretly wanting to poke my head through the branches and see what he was up to. It would be so easy, just move a few branches around and…my head was through the bush. I really hoped he wasn't peeing. I saw him walk to an open area in the forest and stop. He stood there for a moment, staring at the sky. It looked like he was debating something in his mind. Suddenly, he stood up on his back paws and his form began changing. I stared horrified as he changed from his lovable dog form into a human. He shed his rust-colored fur to reveal an extremely tan body of a man. He had long black hair that fluttered down to his back. I swallowed when I realized he was naked.

I slowly pulled away from the bush, still in shock. Jake wasn't a dog or a wolf. He was a man. A man. Why didn't he tell me? I thought of him as my best friend! Realization dawned on me. He was the one opening my window when I wasn't around. He was probably going through my things. I bet he was only pretending to be my friend to rob me, mug me, or worse! Horror ripped at my heart.

"Why Jake?" I whispered so quietly I didn't even hear it. Then I remembered that my phone was in my left pocket. I quickly pulled it out. My hands were shaking so hard I could barely dial the numbers. I called the first person that popped into my head.

"Hello?" Ryan asked. I swallowed before I answered.

"Ryan?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Nathalie? What's wrong?" He asked, his voice raising.

"I need you to come pick me up," I said, my voice continuing to shake. "I'm at Gram Woods. I'll meet you at the entrance. And hurry."

I hung up before he could say anything else. I put my phone back in my pocket and put my hands on my head. This was all too much. What was I gonna do? How was I gonna find my way out of here? What was I going to tell Ryan? And what was Jacob going to do to me? I heard a snap from behind and I whipped my head around. Jake was leaning against the tree casually, with a smug grin on his face. I was slightly relieved to see he was wearing an old pair of sweatpants.

"J-Jake?" I asked. His grin grew wider.

"Yep, it's me!" He said happily, taking a step towards me. I stepped back at the same time. His smile wiped away.

"Nathalie?" He asked. "What's wrong?"

"You, you were, um, now you're a, and I," I didn't know what to say. A million things were flying through my brain.

"Look, I know this probably comes as a shock to you-"

"No duh moron!" I shouted angrily, cutting him off. "I've, I've gotta go! Just leave me alone!" I backed up, and then turned around and began running. Jake was in front of me in an instant.

"Just let me explain!" Jake said, holding his hands up.

I shook my head and turned the other way. I had a feeling he wasn't going to let me go. He put his hand on my shoulder and turned me around. His hands were so warm. I didn't even realize my blanket was on the floor. I was warmed up immediately. I struggled to get away from him, but he was just as strong as he was when he was a dog.

"Please," he pleaded. "Just talk to me for five minutes. If you still hate me then, then you can leave and never see me again. Actually no, that's a lie. I probably still wouldn't let you go. But still! Talk to me. Please." His eyes were the same brown as I remembered them. I sighed.

"Fine," I said quietly.

He smiled and picked me up. I struggled and kicked at him so he would put me down, which was useless. He laughed at my feeble attempt to escape and set me down on my rock.

"Now Nathalie," He began, sitting next to me. Even as a human, he was still huge. He towered over me. Jake had amazing muscles, it was hard for me to look away.

"I know you're mad and upset at me. Fine. Go ahead. I don't care. Just hear me out. My name is Jacob Black. I am not from Illinois, but La Push, Washington. Now you saw me transform, right?" I nodded me head, glaring at him all the while. "I, 'didn't intend for you to see me.'" He said, using his hand to make air quotes. "You saw me accidentally. Now you know my secret." He smiled and put his arm around my shoulders. I pulled it off of me. What was he thinking?

"And now you know! I'm a werewolf!" he concluded. I snorted.

"Werewolves don't exist," I said disgustedly.

"Then how do you explain how I changed from a wolf into this?" He asked, gesturing to himself. He had me there.

"Nathalie, remember that day when I saved you from the drunk guys?" He asked. I nodded my head. "That was the first time I had ever seen you. I, I wanted to talk to you. To see you smile. To make you happy. Something about you made everything else in the world unimportant."

I looked up at him, digesting the information he had just given me. He began pacing back and forth.

"After I saw those guys chasing you, I immediately wanted to rip their hearts out," He continued with a growl. "But I didn't want you to see that. So I settled for sharing the shit out of them."

"Jake, what are you trying to say?" I asked, looking down at the forest floor. He forced me to look at him with his strong hands.

"Nathalie, I think I am-"

He stopped talking and dropped his hands when we heard shouting coming from behind us. I turned around and saw Ryan with a flashlight. He was breathing heavily. He looked relieved to find me, but then worried when he spotted my big friend. No, not friend. My big jerk. No, not mine. Just a big jerk.

"Nathalie, who is this?" He asked, staring at the two of us uncertainly.

"Thank god you're here!" I said and ran over to him. Jake crossed his arms. I knew this was going to make him jealous. I hugged Ryan and glared at Jake.

"Did he hurt you?" He asked angrily. I looked over at Jake, deciding on whether to lie or not. Jake looked really sad.

"No, he didn't," I said finally. "Just scared me. Can you take me home?" He nodded his head and took my hand.

"Wait Nathalie," Jake said suddenly. He hadn't moved from his spot. Ryan and I stopped, but didn't turn around. "Just so you know, I'll always come back to you. Even if you don't come back to me." I turned around but avoided his gaze.

"You're just a dog, Jake."

________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Was this the original chapter 2? I think it was…I don't remember. I didn't read the last two chapters, so I didn't realize that they didn't make sense. Hm. So if you haven't reread them, go do it now or this chapter would seem. AwKwArD. But I hoped you enjoyed it anyways.

RaNdOm ThOuGhT: You know, it would really suck if your name was Joe, because, if you spoke Spanish and saw that name, it would be pronounced, Hoe. Poor guy. Like Joe Jonas (not that I'm a fan or anything, I just thought about this recently). He would be pronounced, Hoe Honas.

How many of you guys are giggling right now??


	4. Chapter 4

Ryan came to pick me up that Monday to take me to school in the car his parents bought him for his 16th birthday. Jacob hadn't visited me since Friday night. I had to admit, I was feeling guilty about what I said. But I was mad. What are you supposed to say to a werewolf that practically says he loves you?

I hopped in Ry's car and he smiled at me weakly.

"Hey," I greeted quietly. "Did you bring our French project?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, I did." He said quietly. He hadn't started the car yet.

"You going to start the car anytime today?"

He didn't even reach for the ignition. I stared at him worriedly.

"Nat, I wanted to ask you something," He mumbled, fumbling around with his keys. Why was he so nervous?

"Can this wait till after school?" I asked, a little scared about what his question was going to be. "We're going to be late."

He relaxed a little bit and nodded. He turned the car on and headed down the road towards our school. Ryan was his normal self by the time we got there, thankfully. I hated awkward moments like that.

It took us forever to find a parking space.

"There's one!" I shouted, pointing at an empty space.

Ryan began turning into the spot when we were cut off by a big guy on a motorcycle. He skidded into a halt in OUR spot. Ry honked his horn and the big guy got off his bike. I couldn't tell who he was, because of his helmet. He crossed his arms and leaned on his bike as if mocking us.

"Jackass," I muttered. "Come on, let's find another spot."

There was something about that guy that was really familiar. I turned around to get a better look at him, and he was staring right back at me. I flared my nostrils and turned towards the road. It took us five minutes to find another empty spot. It was towards the back of the parking lot, so we had to run to the building to make sure we weren't late.

"Last one through the door is a rotten egg!" I shouted childishly.

"Come on Nat!" Ryan complained. "That is so elementary school!"

He says that, and yet I could see he was still going to try and win anyways. I managed to beat him. I was always faster than him. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Haha! I won!" I said in a sing-song voice. He glared at me and tried to push me into a locker.

"You're so immature," he murmured.

"And you're a sore loser!" I retorted. "Shoot, the bells gonna ring in like, 3 minutes. Let's get to class. See you at lunch!"

I flew up the steps with my orange back pack waving at my side and made it into calculus with thirty seconds to spare. I sprang into my seat with my teacher, Mr. Young, glaring at me. I smiled at him as if I had always been in there. The bell rang and I pulled out my notebook and calculator. My calculator was amazing; it was one of those awesome, $100 graphing calcs, so I could always cheat on tests.

"Right class," Mr. Young began, pulling the cap off of a blue expo marker. "Today's lesson is about-"

He was cut off by someone knocking at the door. He blew hot air out his nose and walked with an air of annoyance to the door. He pushed it open and glared angrily at the interrupter. I couldn't tell who it was; Mr. Young was blocking his face. They exchanged a few words and Mr. Young nodded, grabbing a piece of paper. He came back into the room and smiled to the class, with the guy following him.

"Students, we have a new student," He said happily.

I looked at the new guy, which was pretty easy to do since he was a full foot taller than Mr. Young, and almost choked on my gum as the rest of the class stared wide-eyed at him. There, standing behind my calculus teacher was none other than Jacob Black. I moaned and fell back in my chair. He wasn't going to give up, was he? Jake grinned in response.

"Mr. Black, take a seat by," he scanned the room, looking for an empty seat.

There was one by me and one by the kid in front of me. I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers. 'Please not me,' I said in my mind. 'Not me, not me!'

"By Ms. Hunter please."

I pounded my foot on the ground in protest and the oh-so-mature junior class sniggered. Everyone seemed to be intimidated by Jake. I don't blame them; he's huge. With his, sexy muscles and his long black shiny hair…No Nat, No! Jake smiled triumphantly at me and took the empty chair next to me. I tried to pretend he wasn't there and scooted to the end of the desk. Jake put his feet up so his biker boots were right in front of my face. I growled.

"Good boy!" Jake said with a clap. "Want a dog biscuit?"

"Wanna be neutered?" I snapped. Mr. Young looked back at us.

"Ms. Hunter, please stop talking to the new student," he said, looking at me disappointedly.

"But he was talking-"

"No buts," he said, holding his finger up.

I sighed and continued taking notes. I knew why the teacher wasn't scolding Jake. He was afraid of him.

________________________________________________________________________

"Don't talk to me Jake," I said as the bell rang. I got up and grabbed my books and began leaving for the door.

"Hold up!" Jake said. He was next to me in one stride. Curse him and his long legs! "I want to talk to you."

"Well Jake," I said, not looking at him. "I don't want to talk to you."

"Wait, why are you mad at me?" He asked, putting his arm around me. The other kids in the hallway stared at us. Either because of Jake's size, or us as a couple. I pulled his arm off of me. "I should be the one that's mad."

"Jake, stop it!" I yelled, glaring at him. "I'm mad at you because you lied to me!"

"I wasn't allowed to tell you that I was werewolf," he whispered so that no one else could hear him. "That's why I made sure you saw me when I transformed." I tried to walk faster, but Jake kept up with me easily.

"Don't you have another class to get to?" I asked, annoyed.

"Yep." He said.

"Now?"

"Yep." He repeated.

"What's your next class?" I asked.

"Health." He said, looking at his schedule. I stopped. That was my next class.

I snatched the piece of paper from his hand as he watched me, smugly, read over the seven classes.

"Do you have the same exact schedule as me?" I asked, horrified. He smiled and nodded.

"Yep!" He answered, over enunciating the 'p.' I slapped him and he didn't even seem to notice.

"Did you seriously just hit me? I didn't even feel it!" He laughed. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge.

"ARGH!" I yelled, and charged away from him.

I could hear his booming laughter following right behind me. When I reached health, I took a seat next to Holly and I watched as her eyes grew wide when Jake walked in the room. I saw he was eyeing the empty seat next to me. I searched around the room for someone, and saw Angela Jacobs sitting alone two tables away. I put on a fake smile.

"Angela!" I shouted. Her head shot up in alarm.

She wasn't the most outgoing girl in our class. She was more like one of those Chihuahuas that always shake.

"Angela, come sit by me!" I told her.

She swallowed and stood up. She took the seat next to me and gave me a small smile. Don't get me wrong! I did feel guilty about inviting her over for the wrong reasons, but I did NOT want Jacob to sit by me again. Holly gazed at me weirdly.

"What are you doing?" She mouthed. I smiled and shrugged.

"Never too late to make new friends!" I said with a laugh. Then she nudged me and whispered in my ear.

"Who's the big Indian?" she asked.

"I don't know," I lied. "But I heard he's a big jerk. And way to be racist!"

Holly shrugged and pulled out her notebook. I looked down at my notes and saw there was a shadow covering my area. I slowly looked up to see Jake. He was grinning down at me. Then he turned to look at Angela who was shaking in her chair.

"Excuse me," He said, leaning towards her. "But I think that's my seat."

Angela shot out of that chair so fast I didn't even see her. Jake laughed and took her seat.

"Bully!" I muttered, elbowing him in the side.

"Baby," He shot back, still laughing.

Holly looked at me expectantly. "Later," I whispered.

________________________________________________________________________

It was like that for the rest of the day. Jake followed me around to all of my classes. Even to my locker. It felt like I had my own personal stalker. It was a relief for school to finally end. Until I got home, that is. I walked in through the open door and threw my bag down. I walked up the stairs to me room and stopped. Jake was lying down on my bed. As if I hadn't had enough of him.

"Jacob?" I asked bewildered, and he smiled.

"'bout time you got home," was all he said. "I've been waiting for forever!"

"Jake, what're you doing here?" I asked exhaustedly, running my hand through my hair.

"Why do you think I'm here?" He asked.

"To annoy the hell out of me?"

"No," he said, rolling his eyes. "To talk. We've got to do it some time Nat."

"I don't want to talk. Especially to YOU." I said.

There was a knock at my door. I looked at Jake worriedly and he jumped into my closet. I closed the door and opened my other one. It was Ryan.

"Hey Nat," He said nervously.

"Hi!" I said, too cheerfully. "What's up?"

"I was, well I was just thinking if I could, I mean if you would," He seemed really nervous. "Nathalie Hunter. Will you go to the Winter Formal with me?" The question took me off guard.

"What? Really?" I asked in surprised. "I might need a day or two to think about it. But it's a definite maybe."

He seemed much more at ease. He smiled.

"Ok. Sure!" He shouted. "I guess I'll see you later then."

"Right!" I said. "Ryan? You know you could've called me."

"I know." He said with a sigh. "But, like I said, I like to talk to you, especially face to face."

I blushed. Ryan was never like this. He must really like me. As he turned around, I closed my door, playing the whole scene back in my head. It wasn't until Jake came out of the closet (no, he's not gay!) that I remembered he was there. He leaned against the doorway and folded his arms, looking at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked.

"Just friends, huh?" He said solemnly. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, we are. If we do go together, it'll be just as friends." I explained. "And why do you care?"

"Maybe because I wanted to go with you," He said bluntly.

"Wait, what?" I said, cocking my head.

"You heard me," He said with a smile. Jake walked over to me and messed up my hair.

"Fat chance!" I shouted, stepping out from under his hand and hurriedly trying to change it back to its flawless state. "Not after what you did to me!"

"Oh come on!" Jake complained. "I already apologized to you. And you have no reason to be mad at me."

"Don't be so sure about that!" I snapped. "Get out. And stop coming into my room uninvited. I can call the police you know."

"I'd like to see them try and catch me," He said thoughtfully. "You of all people should know that I'm a fast runner."

"Just go away," I said, collapsing onto my bed. I didn't notice how tired I was.

"But it's cold out there!" He complained.

"It didn't bother you before!" I pointed out.

"The cold never bothers me," he informed casually. "I only said that to try and convince you. It didn't work."

"I'm gonna get dressed now!" I announced, hoping he would take the hint and leave. Of course he didn't.

"Can I watch?" He said seductively. I glared at him and he laughed.

"Glad to see you're enjoying yourself." I said sarcastically. "But in all seriousness, you need to leave. If my parents catch you, I'll be grounded for, forever!"

When I turned around again, he was gone. I only saw the curtains blowing in the open window.

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A/N: Alright THIS should be a fresh new chapter to you all! Read it. Enjoy it. Review it. Tell me your thoughts…yadda yadda yadda.

And special thanks to BJG Pwn for the review and PM's. They got me back onto the track of continuing this story. So thank her! 


	5. Chapter 5

"Which store do you think we should go to, Nathalie?" Holly said happily as she skipped down the mall with my arm in hers.

"Um, how about JC Penny's?" I suggested, gazing around at the stores I would rather be at.

"We need to go to some expensive store!" Holly told me. "Now that we both have dates, we need really good dresses!"

"Have you checked the National Bank of Nathalie?" I asked. "It doesn't have much in it. Only $200 for a dress and shoes. I am not about to blow all of that on one dress. Besides, it's just a dance! There'll be others! Like the Valentine's one. And the Spring Fling. Even prom!"

"I know, but I want to look special!" Holly moaned. I looked at her. "Fine. JC Penny's it is." I smiled in triumph and dragged her to the store. Holly ran for the dresses and began blindly throwing a couple at me.

"Go try them on!" She shouted exuberantly. "I'll try these on!"

I walked into one of the changing rooms and examined the dresses that she gave me. There were about four of them. A long pink one that glittered, a short blue one that had spaghetti straps, a yellow one that was long and flowy, and a red one that was long and sleek. I tried on the pink one first, but pink was NOT my color. I hung it back up and tried the blue one and then the yellow. None of them shouted, 'Nathalie.' Finally, I put the red one on and it was perfect. I loved everything about it. It was a spaghetti strap that had a low cut and it layered perfectly down at the bottom. I stepped out of the room to show it to Holly.

"Do you think Ryan'll like this one Hols?" I asked, straightening my dress.

"I know I do," I heard a guy say.

My head shot up as I took in the form of Jacob Black, leaning casually against the door frame.

"Ja-," I began to scream, but he put his hands around my mouth. He put his finger to his lips, silencing me.

"What are you doing here? And in the girl's dressing rooms?" I demanded in a slight whisper as soon as he had let me go.

"Suit shopping!" he answered. "Then I heard your voice and I just had to come over and say, hi!"

"Well you said hi now, so good-bye!" I turned to go back into my changing room. He grabbed my arm.

"Nathalie, you can't go with him!" Jake practically shouted.

"And why not?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"Because I-" He was cut off when Holly opened the door.

"Nathalie?" She asked quizzically. "Who were you talking to?"

I looked over to Jake but he was gone.

"Um, no one." I said nervously. "To myself. What do you think of this dress?"

"It looks great on you!" Holly answered enthusiastically. "And what do you think of me?" She asked, modeling herself to me.

"Not bad," I said, nodding my head. "I like it."

Holly was wearing a dark green dress that shimmered in the light. It fitted her curves really well. We both paid for our dresses and then found matching shoes. I was shocked to see that Jake didn't show up again. I was always peeking behind racks and shelves to see if he was there, but he never was. We got into my car and I dropped Holly off. I sped off towards my home, still searching for Jake. I pulled into my driveway and walked into my house to my room. I hung up my dress in my closet and sat on my bed. I felt a small chill and turned around to an open window.

"Jake," I muttered, and walked over to it. I stuck my head out and was surprised to see Jake in dog form. He was sitting on the roof happily, with his tail wagging, as big as ever. Jacob turned around, expecting me to hop onto his back. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my blanket. I jumped onto his back and he collapsed. I immediately jumped back off and covered my mouth with my hands.

"Oh my god, Jake!" I shouted. "I'm so sorry! I told you I was heavy!"

Jake was barking. His bark sounded like laughter as he rolled around on the roof. I huffed and glared at him.

"That was so not funny," I snapped. He stopped laughing and sneered at me. "Now I'm not coming." I announced, heading back to my room.

He began whining and looking at me in a cute way. It was hard to resist, so I sighed and crawled back on. He looked at me triumphantly.

"Just go already," I said, aggravated.

He brought me back to our forest. I took my usual position on my rock and he next to me. I turned around as he morphed into a human so I wouldn't see him naked again. He tapped me on the shoulder and I faced human Jake.

"Jake, one question," I began. "Will you stop following me around? It's really annoying and stalker-ish."

"I can't help it Nat," was his answer.

"Don't call me Nat!" I demanded. "You're not one of my friends."

"I wish I was more," He said sadly. I wrapped my blanket around me more tightly.

"If you're here to stop me from going to the formal with Ryan, it's not going happen," I told him.

"Nathalie," He began with a faux grimace. "You'd better not be just going with him to make me jealous, because that would be a fun story to tell Ryan." He smiled at me.

"Of course not!" I shouted a little too loudly. "You know, you have a pretty big ego. You think everything happens because of you. I'm going with Ryan because I _like_ him. NOT to make _you_ jealous."

"But you said you were going together as friends," Jake pointed out with a smirk. I swallowed.

"Yes, I _like_ him as a _friend_," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Then why can't you like me as more than a friend?" He asked earnestly. I had to stop and think about what to say to him.

"Well, I um, you and I," I stuttered. As I continued to flab my mouth, his smirk grew wider and wider. I looked around for something to help me, but all I saw were trees and leaves. Oh, and a squirrel.

"Because I don't like you at all that way!" I screamed.

Jake looked down sadly, hurting my heart. I followed his gaze down at the ground. When I looked up again, he was right in front of my face, looking at me determinedly. I should've known he wouldn't have given up that easily.

"Jake?" I asked nervously. "What is-"

I was cut off by Jacob's lips crashing onto mine. I tried to pull away, but he was so much stronger than I. I eventually gave up and stood there. And something surprised me. Him kissing me actually felt, right, like it was meant to be. It sent shivers up and down my spine. I wanted to badly to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss back, but I wasn't going to allow him the satisfaction of knowing that I was enjoying this. So I waited for him to get his fill. He finally let go for air.

"Feel better?" I asked, gasping for air. Jake was a good kisser...wait, no no no!

"A little," He said with a shrug. "I would be so much better if you actually kissed me back."

"NOT gonna happen, Jake," I said bluntly. I turned around and tried to leave when he was suddenly at my side.

"And where are you going?" he asked with a laugh.

"Trying to find my way home," I answered, not looking at him.

"You're not going have much luck," he said, still laughing. "I brought us pretty deep in here. The only way you can get back home is through me."

"Fine. Take me home. Now," I demanded as he smirked.

"Wait," He said suddenly. "Will you go to the winter formal with me?" I moaned.

"Jake, I'm going with Ryan!" I told him. Again. "That's not going to change."

"Yeah, yeah," He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Just thought you might change your mind."

"Maybe I'll save you a dance," I said with a smirk.

"Sure, sure," he said, a tad more happy. "Now hop on."

________________________________________________________________________

It took me forever to get my hair perfectly curled. I was literally standing in my bathroom for an hour, waiting impatiently for Holly to curl my hair, piece by piece.

"That's good enough!" I shouted, after Holly was finished.

"No, I just need to fix a few more pieces," she said, reaching for my hair.

"No! I'm done. Let's go, the boys are waiting downstairs," I said, jumping from her reach.

She rolled her eyes and we headed for my living room, posing for pictures on our way down. Ryan and Peter were standing by my front door with huge smiles on their faces. I walked over to my date and he handed me a corsage. Since we live in such a small town, EVERYTHING is big, even silly dances like these. Ryan put it around my wrist for me.

"You look beautiful," he whispered in my ear as I leaned in to give him a hug.

"Not too bad yourself!" I complimented. "Now let's get in the car before my parents take anymore."

"As much as I love your mom, she takes about a million pictures," he said. Ryan held the door open for us and we filed out to Peter's silver corvette. And with that, we headed off for our school and the winter formal.

Ryan held the door open for me and grabbed my arm like a real gentlemen. The dance was hosted inside our school gym, with refreshments in the cafeteria. The gym was beautiful; the floor was covered with white cotton made to look like snow. Snowflakes hung from the rafters and the tables were covered with crystal-like tablecloths. Blue, white and silver balloons formed a rainbow over the DJ. It was great. Ryan immediately dragged me out into the dance floor where there were already people dancing. It was an upbeat song that I didn't recognize. We danced and we laughed through many songs with Peter and Holly near by. It was fun, but something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on it. A slow song popped on suddenly, and Ryan blushed. He held out his hand and I was about to take it when someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around and came face to...chest with Jake.

"May I cut in?" he asked.

"You can't cut in when we haven't even started." Ryan growled, glaring at him. "Leave Nathalie alone."

"What're you, her bodyguard?" Jacob asked with a laugh. Ryan swallowed. "You've been dancing with her the whole time, I think it's time you should give someone else a chance."

He added, taking a step towards Ryan. Jake was a whole foot taller than Ry, but it didn't even faze him.

"What if she doesn't want to dance with you?" Ryan asked, also taking a step forward. They were glaring at each other when I finally intervened.

"Ryan, Jake, stop it!" I commanded. They both looked at me sheepishly. "Ryan, why don't you get us some drinks?" Ryan nodded his head slowly, and left, but not without glaring at Jake. Jacob grabbed me around the waist and locked our hands together. Once again, it felt right.

"See?" I said to him. "I told you I'd save you a dance." Jake laughed.

"I almost thought you weren't going to let me near you for a second there!"

"I was thinking about it," I commented. He laughed again.

"I think I'm starting to grow on you," Jacob pointed out.

"There's that ego again"

"No it's not!" he argued. "Just stating the obvious."

"Stating the obvious? If you were to ask someone in this room about if I liked you or not, they would say I despised you."

"Hmph," He said, his brows furrowed.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" I asked, smiling triumphantly.

Jake gave up his attempt at being mad at me and grinned. Ryan came up between us, holding two drinks in his hands.

"I'm not done with my dance yet," Jake said, holding my hands tighter. Then the song changed to one with a faster tempo.

"Now you are," Ryan said, handing me my drink.

"You are beginning to get on my nerves, Ryeepoo." Jake said. "I think I oughtta-" Then he stopped. He looked towards the door and listened intently, a far-away looking in his eyes.

"I've got to go," he declared, looking down at me with serious eyes. "There's trouble with my, problem."

I understood what he was talking about, but not why he had to leave. Jake kissed me on my forehead and charged for the door. Ryan immediately filled in his place. I took a sip of my drink and then set it on a near-by table. Ryan and I began dancing to the music, well actually, he was dancing and I was rocking side to side. I kept glancing at the door to see if Jake would come back, but he didn't. He never did.

"Nat?" Ryan asked concernedly. I looked up in surprise. "It's over. Time to go home."

I nodded and we headed for the car. The dance seemed to go by in a huge blur. We managed to find Peter and Holly making out in an empty classroom. We pulled them away and headed back to Peter's car. I stared out the window, still thinking about Jake. Where had he gone? Was he going to come back? What was the big trouble? I didn't even notice it when we were stopped outside my house.

"See you later Nathalie!" Holly said, turning around in her seat and giving me a hug. I looked up in surprise and hugged her back.

"Oh, bye guys!" I said distractedly.

Ryan merely nodded, but didn't get out of the car to help me nor walk me to my door.

My parents bombarded me with the usually questions when I walked in the door, "Did you have fun?", "Was he behaving himself?", "Did you have enough money?", "Did he kiss you?", "Did you dance together?"

"Yes," I moaned, and headed for my room. "I'm tired. Good-night."

I trudged into my room slowly and sat on my bed. I was still worried about Jacob. I didn't even feel the wind blowing through my window until Jake took a seat beside me. I looked up and smiled. I was relieved to see that he was ok and hugged him.

"Jacob! Thank god you're ok!" I squealed. He laughed and hugged me back. I pulled away and gasped. He was covered in cuts and bruises.

"What happened? Are you alright?" I demanded. He rolled his eyes and nodded his head.

"Yes, I'm fine." He said. "I heal fast. You'll see. It's a werewolf thing."

"Do you want a band-aid?" I asked, getting up to go to the bathroom. "How about an Advil? Tylenol?"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Jake laughed, grabbing my wrist. "I'm fine! Don't worry." He pulled me back down on my bed.

"You sure?" I asked worriedly.

"Yeah," He answered. "You look tired. Get some sleep. I'll explain more in the morning." He got up to leave but I grabbed his arm.

"Don't leave!" I shouted. He looked alarmed. "I don't want you to get hurt again. Please?"  
He smiled and rolled his eyes again.

"Sure kid," he said. "Put some pj's on at least."

I nodded happily and grabbed some and went to the bathroom to change. I came back and collapsed onto my bed, not caring that I still had my make up on. I tied my curly hair into a pony tail and laid my head down on my pillow. My room was freezing! Jake snuggled up next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. He was so warm and comfortable. I slowly closed my eyes and fell asleep, listening to the pounding of his heart.

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A/N: I do have to say, this is my favorite chapter by far. So much fun to write.

Jacob: I love the part where Ryan gets dumped for me. *Smiles*

Me: WTF?! Jacob? What are you doing in my author's note??

J: I thought it would be fun.

Me: Get out! Now! I need to put in my two-cents in about this chapter!

J: Let me do it for you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! A new chapter will be up soon, with more Jacob/Nat romance. Don't forget to review, because reviews = love.

Me: ……..

J: *Smiles bigger*

Me: Go die.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up with the bright sunlight gleaming in my face. I looked at my alarm clock and it read one o'clock pm. Wait, one o'clock PM?

I moaned and turned on my side. Jake was snoring next to me. I chuckled and stared at him as his warm breath steamed onto my face. He didn't look as massive when he was asleep. He was breathing slowly and evenly, wrinkling his nose every now and then.

"Good morning," Jacob greeted suddenly.

"Awake now, are we?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He nodded and stretched, releasing me from his warm, tight grip. At least my room was warmer now

"Wow, one o'clock," he stated, impressed. "We slept for awhile. Good thing your parents never came to check up on you. That would've been bad."

I laughed, imagining the look on my parents face if they caught Jake, with his arms wrapped around me. Their imaginations would get the better of them.

"I'd better go," he said sadly. "I'm starving." He placed his feet on the floor.

"Wait!" I stopped him. "Where do you go when you're not here?" He smiled weakly.

"The forest," he informed. "Where else could I go with no money?"

"What do you eat, then?" I demanded. He grinned and I gasped. "Not cute, furry, woodland creatures?" He laughed.

"Of course not," He chuckled. "I go fishing in lakes. Let's just say, there is now an extreme decrease in the trout population."

I chuckled, picturing him in dog form, jumping around in the water and gulping down fifty fish at a time.

"Stay here!" I begged. "I'll go get you some food!" I jumped out of bed and turned towards my door. "What would you like?" I asked, stopping at the door. He took a seat down on my bed and was thoughtful.

"What do you have?" He asked.

"Um, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, chicken, French fries, grilled cheese," I listed. "And sprite, coke, pepsi, orange crush-"

"Get me all of it," he said casually, turning my TV on. I stared at him. "What?" he asked, flipping through the channels.

"What do you mean all of it?"

"Well, you know how big I am," he explained sheepishly. "I eat a lot."

"How about I get you some of each?" I suggested. He nodded and stopped on the Disney channel. Hannah Montana was on.

"Who in their right mind would watch this crap?" He asked.

"My brother," I murmured. My brother always denied it, but I caught him watching it one afternoon. I walked downstairs, happy to see that no one was home. There was a note on the fridge that said, 'Mom's gone to the store; I'm taking Seth to the dentist. Be good.'

"Alright, house to myself!" I cheered. I quickly made three microwavable pancakes, two waffles, and grabbed a strawberry pop tart. I lugged them up to my room and heaved them on my bed. Jake shut the TV off and practically jumped into my small pile of food.

"Food!" He shouted delightfully. It was a little disturbing to watch him shove every little crumb into his mouth. I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing. In a matter of minutes, he was done with his buffet. He rolled onto the floor and patted his stomach.

"Ah, yum," he complimented. "So glad to be eating something other than fish." He paused for a moment and stared at my ceiling. "Why don't you hate me anymore?" he asked randomly.

"What do you mean?" I asked quizzically.

"Well, a few days ago I could feel the hate radiating from you," he pointed out. "And now, nothing. It's like I'm your best friend again."

"Well," I began, twirling a strand of my hair. "Yesterday, when you left early, it kind of freaked me out. I was worried about you. How would it feel if the last thing I said to you was, I hate you?" Jake blinked his eyes at me and smiled.

"You were worried about me?" He asked politely. "Aw, I'm touched!" I rolled my eyes.

"Now I have a question for you," I stated.

"Ok, shoot!"

"Are there others like you? I mean, the doggy you?" I asked curiously. He hesitated.

"Er, yes," he said squinting his eyes. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this."

"Another question," I started, jumping on my bed. "Why did you come here in the first place?" He sighed and sat down next to me, messing my hair up.

"Where to start?" Jacob said quietly. "I wasn't happy with where I was and I ran away. I didn't care where I went, as long as I was gone. And I happened to come here, find you, and you know the rest."

"What was so horrible up there that made you want to leave?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed. He put his arm around me and pressed me close to his body.

"Something I don't want to talk about," he answered, and kissed my head.

"Come on!" I complained. "I practically spilled my guts to you, and you won't answer me one single question?"

He did the whole cheesy, zipper your mouth and throw away the key motion.

"Fine then," I said, pulling away and crossing my arms. It was his turn to roll his eyes. "Then at least answer me one more question. Where did you go when you left the formal early?" He sighed.

"Sorry, can't tell you," he told me. I glared at him.

"Uh!" I yelled at Jacob. "I think it's time for you to go back to your forest now."

"Do you hate me again?" he asked, giving me the puppy dog lips.

"No, but I am very unhappy with you," I grumbled. "Leave. Now."

"Sure, sure!" He laughed.

I didn't even turn around to say good bye or anything. All I heard was the opening and closing of my window. I guess he left in the nick of time, for I heard a honking from outside indicating that my parents had returned. I immediately wanted Jacob back.

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The next couple of weeks were pretty boring. Just Jacob following me around and bugging the hell out of me in class. I still hadn't forgiven him for not telling me where he had gone during the formal and why he left his home. February and Valentine's Day were just around the corner. Once again, Holly was giving me grief about getting a date for the Valentine's Day dance. This time, she was going with Jim Lansky. For some reason, Ryan hadn't said a word to me since formal. He even left our lunch table, which his spot was soon replaced by Jacob. One day, Holly pulled me into the bathroom where I was finally away from Jake. I was pretty sure he was still able to listen to us.

"What is with him?" she asked while fixing her make up in the mirror.

"What do you mean?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

"He follows you around like a lost puppy!" she told me. "Have you seen the way he looks at you? If he even catches another guy looking at you, he gives them a look like he's going to rip their head off! As scary as it might sound, it's pretty amusing. Now the whole school thinks you're taken!"

"That's a good thing! Now no cheesy losers are going to hit on me." I said, looking on the bright side of things.

"Why are you defending him?" Holly demanded. "I thought you hated him?"

"I don't hate him," I corrected. "I am just annoyed by him. He really isn't that bad once you get to know him."

"He chased Ryan away," She stated matter-of-factly.

"That's because Ryan was jealous," I pointed out.

"Didn't you ever realize that Ryan really liked you?" Holly asked slowly, avoiding my gaze in the mirror.

"Not until the day he asked me to go to formal with him," I said sheepishly. She sighed and then continued her rant.

"Jake is cute, I'll give him that," Holly complimented with a grin. "And he's buff. And tall. But that's all I'll give him credit for!" I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Come on, we're gonna be late for class," I said and dragged her away from the mirror. Jake was waiting with a huge smile on his face near the water fountain.

"Ready ladies?" He sniggered. "My buff arms are ready to escort you to class." Holly gasped, but then laughed. I took his arm and the three of us walked to class. The next class, which was the last of the day, we didn't have with Holly, so we went our separate ways. There were posters all over the walls advertising the Valentine's Day dance in two weeks. Jake casually draped his arm around me.

"So, got a date to the dance?" He asked with a smirk. Again, I pulled his arm off of me.

"No, and that's because half of the school thinks we're together," I stated.

"Well, we kind of are together, aren't we?" he asked, as if he was stating the obvious.

"And when did we decide this?" I asked, stopping in the middle of the hallway and glaring at him.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked as if it were. "We're always together. Always."

"We're not ALWAYS together!" I protested, then bit my lip. "Most of the time we are, but not always. I'm also sometimes with Holly or Ry- wait, not him. He's mad at me and you. Again, another problem caused by you. Are you happy with messing up my life?"

I turned to walk away but didn't sense him following me. I turned around again and looked at him funny. He had his hands in his jean pockets and he was looking at the floor sadly.

"Is that what you think of me? A mess up in you life?" he asked without looking me in the face. The way he said it was so sad. My voice was caught in my throat.

"No, no Jake!" I managed to answer quietly. "Of course not. My life has never been so interesting before. Without you, I'd just be any other boring loser."

This cheered him up a little bit, but he wasn't a hundred percent better. I walked over to him and placed his arm over my shoulders, allowing it to stay for once. I smiled at him sideways and he smiled back. People were staring again, noticing that the rumors of us being together were true.

"Come on puppy," I said with a sigh. "Let's get to class."

________________________________________________________________________

I stretched and yawned as the final bell rang. Jake was already at my side, waiting to walk me to my locker. I smiled at him as I packed up my folders and notebooks.

"Ready to go home?" He asked cheerfully. I nodded and slung my bag over my back. We walked together to my locker and I grabbed my jacket and backpack. He wound his arm around my waist and I didn't remove it. I still felt guilty about what he had said before. I was walking towards my car when Jake stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jake asked.

"To my car?" I said suspiciously.

"No you're not," he told me. "Today, you're riding home with me."

"What about my car?" I asked, shocked.

"I'll pick it up later," Jacob answered, brushing it off. "Come on, let's go!" He dragged me to a motorcycle parked a few spaces away from my car. The motorcycle was very familiar.

"Wait! I can't go home with you!" I shouted, pulling all of my weight against him. "What would my parents think?"

"Who cares?" He laughed. "Now come on! Hop on!"

"Hey wait, were YOU the guy that stole Ryan's parking spot back in December?" I demanded. He nodded casually and rolled his eyes while handing me a helmet.

"Hop on," he repeated. This time it was a command. I did while securing the helmet onto my head. I held on for dear life as he revved the engine and then took off. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. The way we were tearing down the road while the wind blew in my face was exhilarating. I even opened my eyes for a little while. He taunted me by pulling dangerous stunts like popping wheelies and turning sharp corners. Oh yeah, I was scared. Every so often, he would turn his head to see me and give me a smug smirk and then he'd make the bike go even faster.

"Jake! You missed the turn to my house!" I yelled in his ear over the snarling engine.

"We're not going to your house!" He told me.

"What?!" I shrieked. "Where're we going?"

"To our spot!" Jacob informed. It seemed like only seconds later that we glided into the now leafless forest and pulled into a stop at my rock. I jumped off the motorcycle happily and threw my helmet off.

"That was so much fun!" I commented. "You went so fast, and you weren't even pulled over!"

"Yeah, I'm awesome like that," he said arrogantly.

"So, what did you bring me here for?" I asked with a knowing smile, already sure exactly what his intentions were.

"What do you mean?" He asked innocently. "The only reason you bring me to Gram Forest is because you either want to show me something, tell me something, or get into another fight with me. Which is it today?" I asked, laying back on my rock.

"D, none of the above," Jake joked. "I wanted to ask you something"

"Yeah?" I asked while I began to lie up out of curiosity. "What is it?"

"Well, don't get mad at me if you are annoyed with me asking this over and over again" Jacob's voice drifted off.

"Spit it out, dear boy!"

"Would you like to go with me to the Valentine's Day dance?" he asked confidently. A small smile crept onto my face. This time, the answer will be different than all of the other times.

"Yes," I agreed. He suddenly burst into a fluff of orange fur and began prancing around in his wolf form. He jumped and he barked, just like any other excited little puppy would after playing fetch with its master. Jake flopped over to me and began licking my face.

"Ew, Jake, stop!" I commanded through fits of giggles. "If I wouldn't let you do this in human form, would you think I would let you in dog?" He backed off and went behind a bush, carrying his pants in his mouth. His shirt was in shreds on the floor. When he was done transforming, Jake Jake came over to me and wrapped me in one giant hug of fire. I could tell he was so happy, until his head shot up in the air, and he began listening intently as he did before at the winter formal.

"What is it-" Jake silenced me by putting his finger to my lips. He turned and looked at me worriedly.

"Get on the bike!" He commanded in a panicked tone.

"Wait, what's going on?" I demanded. When I didn't move Jake picked me up and carried me to his motorcycle. He placed me roughly on the seat and threw my helmet at me. Jacob jumped on in front of me and revved the engine. In less than two minutes, we were speeding down the road, going faster than we had before. He wove in and out of the passing cars, not caring that most of them were honking at him. I gripped his bare chest tightly and closed my eyes again. This was so nauseating.

"Jake," I moaned. My stomach was starting to hurt. "What's going on? Why did we leave?"

"I can't tell you!" His explanation did me no good. "I've just got to get you to safety!" Jake suddenly whipped around in a u-turn and zoomed down the other direction. "Damn it!" He cursed. "We're not safe anywhere! Listen, Nathalie, I've got to get you home! No time to explain. Just get in your house and don't come outside!"

"What's going on?" I asked for the third time. Jacob didn't even acknowledge the question. I was suddenly in front of my house with him pulling me to my door. "Jake, why won't you tell me?" I demanded, angry this time. He looked at me worriedly and shoved me through my front door. He ran down my drive way and returned to his bike and the road, not even taking a backwards glance at me.

'I'll get him tonight,' I thought angrily to myself. 'Oh, I will.'

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A/N: phew, another finished chapter! And just so we don't have anymore interruptions, I've locked Jacob Black in my closet. Please, no dirty thoughts, dear readers. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed another thrilling chapter in the anti-Renesme series.

Ryan: I don't.

Me: Ryan?! What are YOU doing here?

R: I'm mad at you! You took me out of the story!

Me: So?

R: Well, I want to be in it some more!

Me: You WERE mentioned.

R: When?

Me: Hold on, let me go copy and paste. Ahem, For some reason, Ryan hadn't said a word to me since formal. He even left our lunch table, which his spot was soon replaced by Jacob.

R: *mumbles* spot was soon replaced by Jacob. Nah.

Me: You're just jealous.

R: In all of these freaking Twilight stories, the Twilight character ALWAYS gets the girl!

Me: If that wasn't the case, then it wouldn't BE a Twilight story1

R: Well still! Give the little guys a chance!

Me: If I gave you a romantic scene between you and Nat, would you stop bothering me?

R: Ok, deal! *Skips happily away*

Me: Psh, like THAT'S ever going to happen. Anyways, review! Leave a comment telling me what you think! Remember, reviews = love = more chapters!


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